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High food prices loom, USAID warns Nigeria, others
The United States Agency for International Development has warned Nigeria and other African countries to brace up for higher food prices, following recent developments that have temporarily halted Ukraine’s food exports to African countries.
USAID’s Deputy Administrator for Policy and Programming, Isobel Coleman, said this on Thursday at a virtual press conference.
According to her, Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative had already begun to trigger higher food prices around the world.
She noted the impact of this food price hike would be more felt in developing countries that were import-dependent, and had conventionally relied on grain imports from Ukraine.
Coleman said, “One of the world’s largest breadbaskets is Ukraine. By doing this, Russia is increasing food prices globally. We’ve already seen how global food prices came down over time after the Black Sea Grain Initiative came into place. Since Russia has pulled out of the agreement, food prices have again been on the rise.
“This affects every country around the world, but it affects, most acutely, large import-dependent developing countries that have to spend much of their precious foreign exchange resources to purchase food to feed their population.”
The Black Sea Grain Initiative was conceived to specifically allow for commercial food and fertiliser (including ammonia) exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, which are Odessa, Chornomorsk, Yuzhny/Pivdennyi.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, led to a complete halt of maritime grain shipments from Ukraine, previously a major exporter via the Black Sea. Additionally, Russia temporarily halted its grain exports, further exacerbating the situation.
This resulted in a rise in world food prices and the threat of famine in lower-income countries such as Nigeria, and accusation that Russia was weaponising food supplies.
To address the issue, discussions began in April 2022, hosted by Turkey (which controls the maritime routes from the Black Sea) and supported by the UN. The resulting agreement was signed in Istanbul in July 22, valid for a period of 120 days.
With ratification of the initiative, food prices which had increased significantly, began to decrease. However, on July 17, 2023, the deal expired, and Russia refused to renew it on the ground that global sanctions were blocking its agricultural exports.
According to Coleman, Russia’s withdrawal from the initiative, which in principle, prevented Ukraine from exporting grain to Nigeria and other developing countries, would have dire consequences of food security in these countries.
Through the initiative, she said, Ukraine was able to export 33 million metric tonnes of food, 65 per cent of which went to developing countries, while 20 per cent went to the least developed countries.
According to a report by United Nations Comtrade, Nigeria imported about $500m worth of grain from Ukraine in 2021; showing the termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative inevitably spelt higher food prices.
Russia, on its part, had promised to fill the space arising from Ukraine’s inability to export its grain, but USAID remained adamant that the Kremlin, which was trying to capitalise on a crisis it had engineered, was not equipped to fill this void, nor should it be allowed to.
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Speaking further, Coleman said, USAID was already making plans to explore alternative means through which Ukraine could export its grain without the current hindrances surrounding the conventional maritime route (Black Sea).
She also noted that in the wake of the last food crisis which rocked global food security, the US government had made substantial investments via its ‘Feed The Future’ campaign, to make developing countries more resilient to food crises.
She added, “We have invested in more than 40 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Carribean. We have 20 target countries that have high levels of poverty and hunger and also a strong potential to drive economic growth and transform food systems.”
The Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, Elizabeth McKee, who also spoke, described the situation as dire, especially in light of Russia’s announcement that henceforth, any ship heading towards Ukrainian ports would be viewed as military targets.
According to her, in the last nine days, 26 port facilities and infrastructure had been hit by the Russians, while five civilian vessels had been targetted, and 180,000 tonnes of precious grain crops destroyed.
What is the Dollar to Naira Exchange rate at the black market also known as the parallel market (Aboki fx)?
See the black market Dollar to Naira exchange rate for yesterday 11th September, below. You can swap your dollar for Naira at these rates.
The exchange rate for a dollar to naira at Lagos Parallel Market (Black Market) players buy a dollar for N1525 and sell at N1550 yesterday 12th September 2025, according to sources at Bureau De Change (BDC). …CLICK LINK TO CONTINUE READING
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In response to a flurry of speculation, Oseloka has taken a stand against the viral claims connecting him to homosexuality, which were sparked by the circulation of photographs featuring him alongside Kent Okwesa, a British-Nigerian based in London. Click link to continue reading.
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The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi, has announced a series of changes to some of the long-standing rules of the church, saying many of them were never scriptural but were introduced for administrative purposes.
Pastor Kumuyi, widely regarded as one of the most influential church leaders in the world, is the founder of Deeper Life Bible Church, which began in 1973 as a small Bible study group in Lagos.
Over the decades, the ministry has grown into a global Christian movement. The Lagos headquarters alone attracts over 120,000 worshippers weekly, placing it among the five largest single congregations worldwide. In Nigeria, the church boasts more than one million members with over 5,000 branches, and a further 3,000 branches spread across Africa, Europe, and North America.
Speaking at the church 2025 Global Family and Marriage Conference, Pastor Kumuyi announced modifications to certain marriage rules that had long been regarded as doctrinal. He clarified that many of these practices were never rooted in the Bible but were merely administrative guidelines designed to provide structure.
One of the major changes is the cancellation of the restriction that prevented a lady from visiting her suitor before marriage. According to Kumuyi, intending couples may now visit each other during courtship, provided they are accompanied by an elder. The long-held six-month mandatory courtship period has also been scrapped. “We just felt you need some time to know one another. And then we said one month will be too short, two months too short. So, why not six months? But it is not from the Bible,” he said.
He stated the importance of Christians being able to distinguish between God’s commandments and church traditions.“As a Christian, you need to be so mature that you know the difference between the law of God and the principles in the church. Six months is all right, but it’s not something inflexible. If we change it to three months, we’re not changing the Bible, because six months is not in the Bible,”
Pastor Kumuyi also clarified the role of marriage committees in Deeper Life, noting that their purpose was to provide guidance and not to exercise authority beyond what is written in the scriptures. “There’s no marriage committee in the New Testament. We created it to help you, not because we can give you a chapter and a verse. It is church administration,” he stated.
These changes are seen by people as another step in the ongoing review of church practices that many members and outsiders have often considered too strict. Since founding the church has faced both admiration and criticism for its distinct doctrines. Some of its earlier beliefs and practices have either been misinterpreted or have since evolved:
Technology Use: The church, which once opposed television and modern gadgets, now embraces media and social platforms for evangelism.read the gospel.
Marriage Rules: Inter-church marriages are now accepted, provided the partner is from a Bible-believing church with a holy standard of living.
Dress Code: The church still emphasizes modesty, but women no longer have to tie scarves at all times, and men are not strictly bound to suits.
Medical Treatment: While rumors once suggested Deeper Life discouraged hospital visits, today members are encouraged to seek proper medical care when needed.
Christmas Celebrations: Although many members spend Christmas at church camps, the church has clarified that celebrating Christmas is not forbidden.
Other misconceptions, such as supposed food restrictions or claims that Pastor Kumuyi had relocated to the UK, have also been dispelled.
Through these reforms, Pastor Kumuyi is reinforcing his long-held belief that while order is necessary in the church, it must never be mistaken for scripture.
Source: City People
What is the Dollar to Naira Exchange rate at the black market also known as the parallel market (Aboki fx)?
See the black market Dollar to Naira exchange rate for yesterday 11th September, below. You can swap your dollar for Naira at these rates.
The exchange rate for a dollar to naira at Lagos Parallel Market (Black Market) players buy a dollar for N1530 and sell at N1550 yesterday 11th September 2025, according to sources at Bureau De Change (BDC). …CLICK LINK TO CONTINUE READING
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